1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to firearms. More particularly, it concerns a modular buttstock assembly that features enhanced modularity and structural integrity compared to known buttstock designs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many firearms feature a component called a “buttstock.” Alternative terms for the same component include “stock,” “shoulder stock,” or “butt.” The buttstock, which is connected to the firing mechanism and barrel, is typically the most rearward component of a firearm during normal use. The buttstock allows a user to brace the firearm against his or her shoulder and cheek prior to firing. In some applications, such as when a user is firing from a prone position, the buttstock provides support by resting on the ground or other surface. Further, although primarily used for firing ammunition, firearms used by military or law enforcement personnel are sometimes used to apply blunt force to a person (e.g., a combatant) or object (e.g., a glass window). In such cases, the buttstock frequently serves as the striking surface.
Many modern buttstocks are considered “collapsible” or “adjustable” in the sense that a user can alter the distance between the buttstock and the receiver to accommodate his or her needs (e.g., arm length). Inventor Robert Roy introduced the first adjustable buttstock assembly in 1966. Roy's assembly, which still stands as the prevailing adjustable buttstock design, was designed to fit a standard sized receiver extension produced by Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC of Hartford, Conn. Roy's design utilizes a receiver extension tube containing depressions. The buttstock slides over the receiver extension tube. The bottom of the buttstock contains a lever connected to a lock pin. The lock pin is biased by a conventional wire spring upwards through a passage in the buttstock and into one of the depressions in the received extension tube. When biased into one of the depressions by the spring, the head of the lockpin prevents the buttstock from sliding along the receiver extension tube. When the user wishes to adjust the distance between the buttstock and the receiver, he or she retracts the lockpin from the depression by applying force to the lever protruding from the buttstock. For more details on Roy's design, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,328.
Although Roy's design has remained the standard in adjustable buttstocks for many years, it suffers from a severe limitation. Many of the aforementioned applications for which buttstocks are used, such as delivering blunt force to an object or person, inflict mechanical stress on the lockpin, the lever, and the surrounding housing. Similar stresses are applied when firearms featuring traditional buttstocks impact the ground or other surface after being accidentally dropped. As a result, traditional buttstocks featuring Roy's design are overly susceptible to breakage. Customers in the firearm industry are increasingly demanding buttstocks with longer life expectancies. Alternatives to Roy's buttstock design have been attempted, such as the Magpul CTR® Carbine Stock offered by Magpul, Inc. of Boulder, Colo., but they have yet to offer any substantial advantage in structural integrity. Given such limitations, there is a persistent need in the firearm industry for a buttstock assembly that offers enhanced structural integrity.
Known buttstocks are further limited when it comes to offering flexible storage functionality. When regularly using firearms, users commonly need access to a number of accessory items, such as batteries (e.g., for weapon mounted lights, thermal imaging devices, laser sights, etc.), cleaning kits, or replacement parts. Some attempts at offering convenient storage functionality have succeeded to a degree but ultimately constitute inflexible solutions because they rely on permanently integrated storage compartments. One such attempt was the Magpul ACS™ Carbine Stock offered by Magpul, Inc. The presence of a storage compartment, while convenient and desirable in some situations, introduces additional components susceptible to breakage. As a result, users find a buttstock storage compartment desirable in some instances, and undesirable in others. Because existing buttstock offerings are inflexible, users must expend funds purchasing more than one buttstock and then must find sufficient space to store them. Further, users must endure the time-consuming task of swapping out the entire buttstock when transitioning from a scenario in which a buttstock storage compartment is desirable to a scenario in which enhanced mechanical strength is a greater priority, and vice versa. Accordingly, there is a need in the firearm industry for a modular buttstock assembly that offers flexible functionality.